Fusion Impression
by John Cribati
Summary: Dr. Maheswaran meets Stevonnie. She reacts. Stevonnie reacts to her reaction. Things don't end well.
1. Introduction: Connie's Visitor(s)

A/N: I got this idea from a fan comic on tumblr. Blame them. And Canada.

Also Rebecca Sugar created Steven Universe, and a bunch of people I can't name worked on it. I'm just messing around with the characters.

* * *

"G- good evening, Dr. Maheswaran."

Steven was focusing on her nose- it was less intimidating than looking in her eyes- but he still felt the desire to hide behind the thermos he was carrying.

"Hello Steven, how may I help you?"

Steven turned to look at his father behind him. Greg's broad smile and thumbs-up gave him a smidge of confidence.

"Uh- well-" he awkwardly held up the thermos- actually hiding behind it this time- and rushed out his answer. "Connie hasn't come to her fencing lessons for the past couple days and Pearl was worried, and when I called her she said she wasn't feeling well so I made her a fruit-and-vegetable smoothie so she can get more nutrients to help her immune system and it's all organic farm-raised fruit and veggies so you don't have to worry about GMOs (whatever those are) hurting her and even if I can't come in cuz she's contagious can you just give this to her and tell her that I hope she feels better soon thanks."

Dr. Maheswaran smiled, though Steven couldn't help but see a bit of evil in it. "How considerate of you. Come on in." She waved Steven and Greg into the living room, then called up the stairs. "Connie, Steven Universe is here to visit! Would you like to see him?"

Connie's voice echoed from her room upstairs, though Steven thought she sounded a bit apprehensive. "Uh... sure."

"It's okay if you're too sick to see me," he yelled back. "I left you a smoothie!"

"It's alright, Steven. You can come up." She paused. "He can come up, right mom?"

"Sure he can, honey." She turned to Steven with a not-very-approving look and a harsh, commanding whisper. "As long as Connie's door stays open."

The insinuation wasn't lost on him. He wasn't a kid anymore, and his dad had already spoken to him about the various... things that parents speak about when their children's bodies start to change.

"Yes Dr. Maheswaran." He ambled his way up the stairs, not willing to appear too enthused.

"Steven, It's so good to see you!" Connie almost tackled him when he reached the top, pressing his mouth and nose into her shoulder.

He was still coming to terms with the idea that Connie would just _always_ be taller than him— never mind that she was a year (and a quarter, but who's counting) younger and his mother was a ten-foot-tall alien warrior— he didn't need the additional reminder of how much muscle she'd gained over the past two years. Not that he hated the hug. After so many days away from her, it even felt like there was more of her than usual.

"You too." His voice was muffled by said shoulder. "Still need to breathe, though."

"Sorry." She let him go, toeing at the carpet awkwardly. "I just... missed you."

"Me too. You sound like you're feeling better."

"Yeah, it was a... stomach thing. Still hurts a little, but I'll be fine." She led him into her room, then sat on the carpet, smoothing her red skirt out around her.

"What have I missed?"

"I've been working on my shapeshifting. Look!" One flash of pink later, Steven was no longer on the ground. Instead, he supported himself on the arms of a gorilla, swinging back and forth. "Is this cool, or what?" He began walking around on his new arms, sometimes balancing on one or the other to scratch at his neck and back.

"It is, but it... looks really weird."

"I'm going slow. The first time I tried shapeshifting, I turned all my fingers into cats."

Connie's eyes widened as she imagined the scenario. "That sounds so cute!"

"Well..." He gave her a small rundown of the incident, the complications involved, and how he'd managed to solve it.

"I take it back," Connie muttered. "That's terrifying."

"... You probably don't want to hear the story about the time travel thing, then. Ooh! I've been working on my bubbles! Look what I can do!" He spread his fingers, reaching toward a frog

plushie that was resting near her pillow. Within a few seconds, it was encased in a pink bubble, and with a flick of Steven's wrist, it came zooming toward his hand. He held it floating above his palm, grinning, until it promptly vanished into thin air.

Connie gasped. "Mr. Pollywog! What happened?"

"Sorry. Can't always stop that from happening. Don't worry, he's safe and sound at the temple."

"Where in the temple?"

"In the bubble room."

"The bubble room?"

"Yeah, everything we bubble ends up there."

"Everything. Like the _monsters_ and _mutants_."

Steven nodded and smiled.

Connie did not smile. "That's not safe!"

"It's not?"

"No! What if the monsters get out and rip him up?" She suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth, tugging at her hair. "We have to get him back, my great-grandmother gave him to me and that was her last gift before she died and it's super-important to me."

"Connie, I think- wah!"

Connie dragged him to his feet and toward the door. "Come on, your father can take us in his van-"

"Connie, calm down, I'm pretty sure-"

She rounded on him, eyes blazing with anger and unshed tears as she dragged him by the collar. "Don't tell me to calm down, you runt! If anything happens to him, I swear I'll-"

Whatever threat was on the tip of her tongue was interrupted by Steven's phone ringing. He slid his thumb on the screen to accept the call.

"Hello? Hi Garnet! Yeah, she's here. Okay."

He pushed a button on his screen, and Garnet's voice came through over the speaker.

"Mr. Pollywog is safe and sound, Connie, and the next time you visit, he'll be on Steven's bed. There's no need to drive here."

"Uh... thanks."

"You're welcome. And Connie?"

"Yes?"

"Please let go of Steven."

The phone beeped as Garnet hung up. Connie released Steven.

"Uh..."

"Don't worry; it's cool."

"No, Steven, it's not cool! I shouldn't have gotten so angry."

"But Mr. Pollywog is important to you. I'd be pretty mad if somebody lost Lion."

"That doesn't mean I can just blow up on you like that. I should have controlled myself better. I'm... I'm sorry I called you a runt."

"It's okay, really."

"No it's not!" She began to pace back and forth, rambling. "You're my best friend and you mean a lot to me and I shouldn't be yelling at you or threatening you or calling you names just because I'm... I'm... UGH!" She threw herself onto the bed and lay staring at the ceiling. "I'm sorry I'm so stupid today. You can leave if you want."

The bed sank as Steven sat next to her.

"Everyone's a little crabby when they're sick." He took her hand in his, pulling her to sit up, and looked her in the eyes. "You're _my_ best friend, and you mean a lot to _me_ , and I shouldn't let you be alone when you're feeling bad about yourself. I didn't like that you were mean, but you're not stupid, and I forgive you."

"Thanks."

He reached up to wipe a tear away from her eye. "Any time."

His hand lingered on her cheek, and before he could move it, he found it held in place by Connie's.

She smiled softly, an odd, doubtful expression in her eyes, and her own palm came to rest under his jaw. And then she was moving closer.

It was more of a peck than a true kiss, a soft touch of her lips to his as if she thought she would scare him away. She pulled away and looked at him again, asking the question with her eyes.

 _Is this alright?_

Steven didn't really understand what was happening, but he didn't need to respond with words, either. All he had to do was close the distance.

Connie seemed to become frantic at that point, mashing her lips to his and tangling her fingers through his hair. He matched her ferocity, hugging her tight, but eventually backed off when her tongue swiped across his lips. They held each other at arm's length, taking deep breaths that became shakier by the second.

Steven sighed.

Connie sighed back, and chuckled.

Steven snorted as he took in another breath, which set Connie into full-blown laughter, and he joined in. They leaned against each other, cackling in glee and relief.

Suddenly, Connie stiffened with a gasp. "Oh, no."

Steven wiped a tear away from his eye. "What? Is something wrong?"

"No, I just... have to go to the bathroom." She rushed out of the room red-faced, with an odd, mincing gait.

Steven shrugged, then hopped off the bed to sit back on the floor. That's when he noticed the red blotch on Connie's white sheet.

*****HALF A FREAK OUT LATER*****

"Dad! Dr. Mahesh-woah!"

The adults looked up to see Steven rolling down the stairs. He landed on his face, and Greg was there to pick him up.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, it's Connie! We were in her room and I think she hurt her stomach laughing too hard because she started bleeding! I'm really sorry, I wasn't trying to kill her I didn't know-"

Dr. Maheswaran's hand came down to rest on his as she stooped down to look at him face to face.

"It's alright, Steven. Connie is fine."

"She is?"

She nodded. "What's happening is completely normal. Greg can tell you about it, though. I'll go check on her."

Greg gave her a pleading, betrayed look, but she was already halfway up the stairs when he realized that she'd left him alone with this.

"C'mon, kiddo," he said with a sigh, leading his son to the couch, "you might want to sit down for this one."

"Are you sure Connie's not dying?"

"Positive. Remember how we talked about how babies are made? Well..."

******* ONE TALK LATER *******

Connie's door was closed. He understood. He'd be pretty embarrassed too, in her shoes. But he knocked anyway, as courageously as he didn't feel.

"Connie, is it alright if I come in?"

"I don't see why you'd want to, but sure."

She was sitting on the floor again, her clothes and bedsheets freshly changed, eating a rather large chocolate bar. "Hey Steven."

"Hey."

"I'm... sorry you had to see that."

He shrugged. "I'm sorry your body is mad at you for not being pregnant."

"That's an interesting way of putting it."

He sat across from her, and they stayed in silence for a bit before he spoke up again. "My dad says that when this... happens, you can go through mood changes and be more emotional."

She nodded, blushing. "I guess you have firsthand experience with that."

"And I was thinking that... maybe you didn't really want me to kiss you."

Connie looked completely scandalized, and he quickly made to reassure her.

"It's okay! I'll still be your friend, and I won't ever bring it up again. I'm sorry if I forced you or anything."

Connie giggled. "Steven... You didn't force me. I've wanted you to kiss me sincr like... forever!"

"Really?"

"That day you healed my eyesight? I was seriously about to lay one on you and hope for the best."

"Really?"

She nodded.

"So you... like me?"

She nodded again.

"I like you, too."

"I kind of figured that out."

"Of course you would. You're one of the smartest people I know."

"Thank you." She took another bite of her chocolate bar and grimaced.

"Your mom is letting you eat chocolate?" Steven asked. "What about trans fats?"

"It helps with the cramps. Also, it's dark chocolate and tastes absolutely horrendous."

"Does it always hurt this bad?"

"No, this one's just... really hard on me this month."

Steven scooted over to be next to her and took her hand. "I wish I could do more to help you."

"It's alright. I mean, it sucks, but I just have to learn to deal with it."

Steven's eyes brightened. "I have an idea! Maybe you don't have to do this alone."

"What do you mean?"

He stood, pulling her up. "Dance with me."

******* ONE PINK FLASH LATER *******

Stevonnie had barely landed on her feet before they crumpled to the ground curled ing protectively around their stomach. "Ow, this suuucks."

They giggled at themself. "I told you this was a rough one. But... it actually doesn't feel as bad as before."

"You mean it felt worse? How did half the people on earth just decide to live with this happening every month?"

"Strength."

They reached for Connie's discarded candy bar and took a huge bite. "Ugh, disgusting. This better help."

They were soon able to get up off the floor, only to flop down onto Connie's bed.

"I think I'll take a nap."

"Good idea."

...

"Thanks, for being with me."

"I'll never leave you alone."

******* FIN *******


	2. Body: Meeting Stevonnie

I don't know what possessed me to continue this, but here it is. It follows a few hours after the first chapter.

Vertical bars ( | | | ) denote that Stevonnie's constituent parts have switched up doing the talking, though they just appear to be talking to themself.

***FFN LINE BREAKS AREN'T WORKING RIGHT NOW***

Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran does not often question her intelligence. She couldn't have been stupid, to have made it through medical school. Granted, it had somehow slipped her

notice that her daughter was running around for a year fighting magical creatures, but it wasn't like she could have anticipated her daughter's involvement in such things. On the other hand, it took her far too long- until about two weeks ago, in fact- to accept that Steven Universe was Connie's boyfriend.

Doug had been having suspicions over the past year and a half, but she hadn't been convinced until The Gems invited the Maheswarans over for an end-of-summer cookout on the beach. It went quite well, up until a few dozen gem creatures arrived to crash the party.

Most of them focused on the Gems themselves, but a particularly large one had gone after the civilians.

Steven and Connie had sprung into action then, drawing its attention and striking back with ferocity.

It had been like a dance. They barely spoke to one another, but the awareness that they had, both of the enemy and each other, the way Steven's defense and Connie's offense weaved around and through each other. It pointed toward something that couldn't be entirely platonic anymore.

And now that she is convinced, she can't help but see it in so many other places she'd taken for granted.

He was already a regular dinner guest at the Maheswaran household, usually at her daughter's invitation, but in the past few months, he had taken to requesting to eat with them. After dinner, he and Connie would laugh and play and cuddle in the living room. Discuss and analyze books and other media together (she was glad Steven was at least as interested in books as he was in Connie). At one point, Steven even convinced Pearl to come over for Connie's fencing lessons.

But now, if there were a question as to the nature of their relationship, this would be the answer.

The children had been silent in Connie's room for the past few hours, and she'd checked in on them, but decided not to open the door any further once she'd heard the light snoring. Connie didn't have that issue, thankfully, so she made the reasonable assumption that both of them were napping. Which was good, if odd. It had taken Doug until their third year of marriage before he was comfortable being around her when she was having her monthly issues (was that a pun? Dear Ganesha Steven was rubbing off on her!).

Greg had to leave suddenly- important business had come up with his car wash- but serendipitously enough, Steven's... pet had decided to roar it's way over and begun napping in the sunlight of her front yard.

She's halfway through some chore or other when she hears something entirely new.

Connie is giggling. Not her usual laugh, like she would after a ridiculous pun or wild story. This is deeper. Huskier. Not anything that would come out of Connie's mouth under normal circumstances. With her and Steven _alone_ in her _room_ , there are few such circumstances that would serve as an explanation. Doug had warned her that no matter how much she trusted Steven, there would be a point where leaving the door open wouldn't matter. Apparently that point had been reached.

She makes her way up the stairs, calling out for Connie, and gets the exact response she expected: suspicious whispers.

But as she gets through the door, she doesn't see two young adults sheepishly trying not to make it look like they were discovering one another.

There is a stranger in Connie's bed. She doesn't focus too deeply at the features, but she doesn't feel the need to. She's too tall. The hair isn't right, the skin tone too light.

There is a stone where her navel should be.

A Gem. A rogue Gem has kidnapped them.

"What have you done with the children?"

Who knows what weird powers this one could have? Who cares? Her daughter, and the boy she is coming to consider consider a son, are at stake. She stalks over to the bed, grabs the assailant by the collar, and shakes her.

"Tell me where my daughter is!"

The Gem's eyes change. Fearful, still, but now in a way with which Dr. Maheswaran is intimately familiar.

She remembers those eyes peeking up at her during thunderstorms. Reading half a dozen books at midnight until they closed in peaceful slumber.

This _is_ Connie, but... not.

The Gem begins to glow, a bright pink she has come to associate with Steven, and she lets go. The light dissipates, and then Connie is there, kneeling on the bed, Steven cowering behind her.

Dr. Maheswaran is flabbergasted. "Steven. Connie. You were? But, I thought..."

The dinner. All those years ago, that first dinner, where Greg had shown up with his six-armed, two-mouthed, fifty-foot-tall date. That was really three Gems. That became the one tall Gem again.

Steven had done that, with her daughter.

He could do that? With humans?

"How?"

"I... don't really know," Connie admits. "Probably because Steven's half-human."

"And that Gem... she was... the two of you?"

She should have realized it; that Gem had been dressed very much like Steven, now that she's able to look back at the situation with ten seconds' hindsight.

"Well, Stevonnie's more of a _they_ , but even then... fusion is more than that. I think Steven could explain it better."

Connie turns to Steven, who is still hiding behind her. And a lot smaller than he should be. And while he is missing the attempt at a mustache and sideburns that Connie can't convince him to shave, the fact that he looks even younger than he did when she'd first met him kind of ruins the effect.

"I'm sorry Dr. Maheswaran." His voice is higher, tears running down his face. "I knew you wouldn't like it, but I was just trying to help Connie! We won't fuse again if you don't want us to, I promise!"

She chuckles, calling on her experience in the pediatric ward. "Steven, you're very good at jumping to conclusions. I'm not angry at you, just... surprised."

He wipes at his eyes with his now overlarge sleeve. "So... you're okay with this?"

"You and Connie are teenagers, now." Well, he'd been a teenager for quite a while, but the point still stood. Even though he didn't look it at the moment. "It's completely normal for you to want to be... closer to each other. I only wanted to be sure that you weren't going too far, too fast."

Steven nods his head. "You don't think fusion is too far?"

"I'm not quite sure," she admits. "That's ultimately between you and Connie." She smiles, as genuinely as she can. "But it would put my mind at ease if I could talk to this... Stevonnie for a bit."

Steven wipes away the last of his tears, and in a pink flash, he's his sixteen-year-old self again. "Uh... sorry about that. Still not that good with shapeshifting. Sometimes I'm only as old as I feel I am."

Dr. Maheswaran chuckles. "There's a power I wouldn't mind having."

"I almost died of old age," Steven counters. Simultaneously, Connie says "He turned into a baby once."

She cringes. "... I'm not sure which is more terrifying."

"Neither of them are as bad as Cat Fingers." Connie interjects, unable to suppress a shudder. "thanks for dreaming about _that_ by the way," she mutters, socking him playfully on the shoulder.

"You probably don't want to hear about the time travel fiasco either," Steven muttered.

Priyanka takes their word for it. "So... Stevonnie?"

They look at each other nervously. "Now?"

"If you're saying this process is something I shouldn't be seeing, maybe it _is_ too far."

Priyanka gives them a soft glare. Steven seems to shrink half an inch, or maybe it's her imagination.

"We've never fused in front of anyone before," Steven explains.

"I don't like people watching me dance," Connie adds.

"It's a very intimate process."

Priyanka's glare becomes steely, and Steven amends his previous statement.

"Uh... not like sex. Totally not like sex, I mean we first fused when I was thirteen!" He winces, then slams his head into his palm. "That isn't helping things."

Connie jumps down from the bed and pulls Steven to his feet. "Can we get a little space?"

Priyanka moves back a bit to facilitate them, and Connie starts singing a simple melody, the lower half of "Heart and Soul." She starts with a simple two-step, until Steven joins in with the other half of the song, taking control and leading her in an odd sort of foxtrot. After another three or four measures, Steven spins her under his arm and they stretch apart, then Connie twirls back toward him, wrapping herself in his arm and ending with her back to his chest. His other arm goes around her waist, and the bright pink light flashes again.

When it subsides, the gem- Stevonnie- is standing there. Well, she's swaying in place, trying to hum both parts of the song at once. Steven's pink shirt and yellow star are complemented by Connie's canary blouse; The Gem's legs are covered by bell-bottomed jeans, the embroidered pattern at the ankles resembling that of Connie's khaki skirt.

Priyanka isn't sure what to do, so she clears her throat. Stevonnie jumps, snapped out of her... their... reverie, and looks down.

A beat.

"Well, er..." Priyanka begins, "that wasn't as... provocative as I expected."

Stevonnie snorts. "Steven doesn't have a provocative bone in his body." | "Yeah, we've looked."

A look of shock crosses Stevonnie's face. "That's supposed to be between u...me!" | "Only half of me has any experience lying to our-your- Connie's mother!" | "Well you didn't have to... blurt it out like that!"

Priyanka clears her throat again. "Please stop arguing with... yourself."

They quickly snap to attention again. "Yes Dr. Motherheswaran." They giggle at their slip-up.

"This is so weird." The doctor rests her head in her palm.

"Yeah it's totally weird," Stevonnie agrees. "But it's so much fun being me!" | "Steven's inquisitive and he's so sweet and funny and he sees the beauty in everything!" | "And Connie's so smart and cool and knows a whole bunch of stuff and have you seen them when they fight, cuz Connie's all like-"

They're about to turn a rather impressive cartwheel, but pause when Dr. Maheswaran raises her hand.

"Sorry to interrupt-" she really isn't- "but what exactly is happening here?"

"What do you mean?"

"This... talking to yourself thing. Aren't you a coherent... being? Or are you two?"

"No."

"No... to what?"

Stevonnie bursts into laughter at Priyanka's confused expression. "The mathematician's answer? Really?" | "Sorry, I couldn't resist." | "Okay, it was funny, but now it's time to be serious." | "Serious."

They make an odd 'flattening' motion with their hands, neutralizing their expression.

"Sorry about that. They can get carried away having fun when they're me."

"Now it's they?" Priyanka shakes her head. "This is like dealing with a non-binary patient."

Which was technically true, she figures.

"To answer your question _properly_ ," Stevonnie begins, "the way Garnet explained it, I'm not two people, but I'm not one person either. I'm... an _experience_."

They raise an arm, summoning Steven's shield, and do a little twirl before striking a heroic pose, hair billowing out dramatically.

Priyanka blinks, slowly becoming inured to the silliness. And yet... "Where is that wind coming from?"

They stare back at flapping hair. "I'm not sure, actually. Steven does this weird floaty thing sometimes so it might be related to that?"

"So Steven was the one in charge of that... display?"

Stevonnie looks up in thought. "Maybe 70%. 80 tops." Stevonnie shrugs. "They don't really decide. They both have to want me to do or say something for me to do it; otherwise, I split apart."

"But earlier, Steven said something that Connie didn't want me to know."

"That's true on the surface, but Connie- both of them, really- also wanted to reassure you that they weren't sexually active yet. That's what you seemed most concerned about, and Steven rushed into explaining at the first opportunity. Connie just... didn't expect it to come out like that."

"But you're, er, they're in the same body!"

Stevonnie shakes their head. "But not the same mind."

"This is making my head spin."

"So you're suffering from con _fusion_?"

She wants to glare, but she can't hide the smile on her face, so she sighs and rolls her eyes. " _Steven_."

"Connie thought of that one, actually. Steven just helped with delivery." Stevonnie's eyebrows narrow skeptically.

Priyanka resists the urge to take a step back. She's seen that expression before. The 'Serious Steven' face. The boy usually employed it when monsters were afoot, but if by some miracle (or whatever the logical opposite of a miracle is) someone managed to get him angry, this countenance made him the most physically imposing thing in the room. Even though everyone else was at least a head taller than him.

And Stevonnie is actually taller than her.

"W-What is it, Stev...onnie?"

"You think Steven is taking advantage of Connie." They sound like Steven, mostly, but somewhere in the background, is the tone Connie takes when someone's hurt her feelings.

Priyanka can't deny it. Whether out of fear or respect, she isn't sure.

"H- how _dare_ you? The fact that Steven and Connie can _be_ me in the first place is because of how much they care about and trust each other!" | "We've known him for three years! You think he's that kind of person?" | "Even if I was, Connie's like seven times smarter than I am! Why would I even try it?" | "Steven, you shouldn't be selling yourself short like that."

Stevonnie's chest heaves as they take in a deep breath. "And another thing-"

They cut themself off before they can continue ranting. "I think I'm done yelling at my mom now." | "Well, I'm _not_ , so if you don't mind..."

In a flash, Steven is standing in front of her, holding Connie in a bridal carry. He sits her gently on the bed, but when he turns to Priyanka again, his rage is cooled.

"Fusion isn't about controlling each other. It's about sharing and acceptance and communication. I... I love Connie, and if you think I would use her feelings against her like that, then you don't know me at all!"

He leaves the room at a brisk pace.

Both are still reeling from Steven's words- Connie because they'd just gotten to "like" not three hours ago, Priyanka because of the utter sorrow and dejection that had taken the place of his rage.

"Steven, wait!" they yell together.

He's already halfway down the stairs. Connie tries to catch up to him, but the waistband of her jeans drops, tripping her up. By the time Priyanka helps her up, Steven has mounted the Lion, and the great pink creature roars a portal out of thin air and leaps through.

Connie shuffles up to her, too late to stop it.

They both stare at the empty spot in the yard.

"Put on some proper pants and get in the car." Priyanka orders, after a while. "I have to fix this, and I'll need your support."

"On my way."

"Wait... how did you..." She gestures vaguely at Connie's torso, the waistband of her- no, Steven's- jeans gaping around her and held up with a length of coil she must have found somewhere.

Connie looks down as well. "Oh... sometimes things switch when we un-fuse."

A beat. "That boy really knows how to rock a skirt, doesn't he?"

"Where do you think Stevonnie gets all those curves?"

Priyanka tries not reflect on how bitter she sounds about that.

***FFN LINE BREAKS AREN'T WORKING RIGHT NOW***

A/N: You are all imagining Steven in an embroidered khaki skirt yelling at Dr. M. Maybe that justifies this fic's continuation?


End file.
